1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an ultrasound diagnosis apparatus, and more particularly, an ultrasound diagnosis apparatus that can perform predetermined input operations, such as storing a moving image and changing a scanning mode without using an operation table, by analyzing and acquiring characteristics of physical operations of an ultrasound probe from generated images.
2. Background of the Invention
An ultrasound diagnosis apparatus transmits and receives ultrasound through a plurality of ultrasound transducers installed in an ultrasound probe to and from a target in an object. By simply touching an ultrasound probe to a patient's body surface, image data of the target is generated. The generated image data can be displayed on a monitor in real time. An ultrasound diagnosis apparatus is widely used as an apparatus for diagnosing various target organs in a patient's body, such as cardiology, vascular, urology or gynecology.
In an ultrasound diagnosis apparatus, to perform input operations for an examination, an operator operates input devices provided on an operation unit, such as various switches, touch panels, a mouse or a track ball, or a panel of a terminal device coupled to networks. Usually, while an operator of an ultrasound diagnosis apparatus holds an ultrasound probe with one hand to touch a tip portion of the ultrasound probe onto an object, the other hand of the operator performs input operations for an examination by operating an operation table.
However, to examine, for instance, peripheral blood vessels in a lower leg of an object through an ultrasound probe, an operator needs to step away from an operation table to adjust a position of an ultrasound probe around the lower leg or to adjust a body position of the object. Consequently, it is difficult for an operator to perform input operations on an operation table while adjusting a position of an ultrasound probe around a lower leg position of an object.
To address this problem, Japanese Patent Application Publication 2005-185420 has proposed an ultrasound diagnosis apparatus having a foot switch for performing an input operation and an ultrasound diagnosis apparatus that can perform input operation by voice recognitions.
However, it is difficult to perform fine operations by such a foot switch. Further, it is very physically and mentally fatiguing and uncomfortable for an operator to perform complicated input operations by a foot switch so as to avoid any error under a situation that both hands of the operator are occupied for other operations. Thus, such input operations by a foot switch are not desirable in view of ergonomics.
It is also very difficult to perform a plurality of complicated input operations by using voice recognition. To control such complicated input operations by voice recognition, an operator will need to issue various complicated commands. Further, there is the possibility of misunderstanding the voice input operation.